Tuesday, June 23, 2009

Progress in Catholic-Muslim relations stalled on religious freedom, says Vatican officialhttp://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=3290
The president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue has reported significant progress in dialogue between the Church and the Islamic world, but sees major roadblocks remaining. Speaking at a conference in Venice, Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran cited two major impediments. First, he said: “Even the most open-minded Muslim leaders are unable to get their fellow Muslims to accept that people have a right to change religion in accordance with their conscience.” Second, the political leadership of Saudi Arabia in particular refuses to budge on allowing freedom of worship for other faiths– leaving 2 million Catholic residents without legal access to the sacraments.

Copts (Christians) attacked by Muslims in violent conflict in Egyptian villagehttp://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=3298
At least 18 people required hospital treatment for injuries suffered in violent confrontations between Muslims and Coptic Christians in an Egyptian village, the French newspaper La Croix reports. The bloodshed occurred on June 21 when militant Muslims attacked a Coptic congregation at worship in the home of a priest in a remote village of southern Egypt– a region where such confrontations have taken place repeatedly in the past few years.

In three days a new movie will be released (June 26) entitled The Stoning of Soraya M starring Jim Caveziel (Jesus in the Passion of the Christ) and produced by Steve McEveety (producer of Braveheart, Bella, Passion of the Christ).

This looks like it will be a good movie and one Christians should support enthusiastically. It is an expose of Islam and the freedom of religion.

For an interview with the producer, click here.
For Faith & Family Review, click here.
For a trailer on the movie, click here.
Interview with Jim Caveziel here.